Aaron's rod

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AARON'S ROD
old flat houses, pink, or white, or grey stone, with their green
shutters, some closed, some opened. It had a flowery effect,
the skyline irregular against the morning light. To the right
the delicate Trinita bridge, to the left, the old bridge with
its little shops over the river. Beyond, towards the sun,
glimpses of green, sky-bloomed country: Tuscany.
There was a noise and clatter of traffic: boys pushing handbarrows
over the cobble-stones, slow bullocks stepping side by
side, and shouldering one another affectionately, drawing a
load of country produce, then horses in great brilliant scarlet
cloths, like vivid palls, slowly pulling the long narrow carts
of the district: and men hu-huing! and people calling: all the
sharp, clattering morning noise of Florence.
"Oh, Angus! Do come and look! Oh, so lovely!"
Glancing up, he saw the elegant figure of Francis, in fine
coloured-silk pyjamas, perched on a small upper balcony,
turning away from the river towards the bedroom again, his
hand lifted to his lips, as if to catch there his cry of delight.
The whole pose was classic and effective: and very amusing.
How the Italians would love it!
Aaron slipped back across the road, and walked away under
the houses towards the Ponte Vecchio. He passed the bridge
and passed the Uffizi watching the green hills opposite,
and San Miniato. Then he noticed the over-dramatic group
of statuary in the Piazza Mentana male and physical and
melodramatic and then the corner house. It was a big old
Florentine house, with many green shutters and wide eaves.
There was a notice plate by the door "Pension Nardini."
He came to a full stop. He stared at the notice-plate,
stared at the glass door, and turning round, stared at the
over-pathetic dead soldier on the arm of his over-heroic pistolfiring
comrade; Mentana and the date! Aaron wondered
what and where Mentana was. Then at last he summoned
his energy, opened the glass door, and mounted the first stairs.
He waited some time before anybody appeared. Then a
maid-servant.
"Can I have a room?" said Aaron.
The bewildered, wild-eyed servant maid opened a door and